Going to the Mall was quite the experience, Dean doesn't think he has ever been to one before. So as first experiences go it's not too bad, even though they were shopping for clothes for the dance. This led them into a store called Nordstrom, Why does sewn bits of cloth need to be that expensive? After the fifth overpriced item thrown at him to try on Dean and Derek were bored, Derek was easy to shop for, and even Sam got a set of clothes based on Dean's knowledge of his sizing, but no Dean himself actually had to try on clothes. Peter said he didn't want Dean to look out of place taking a Hale to a dance in plaid.

"I do know how to dress up for a high school dance, and won't we be covered in armour, I thought we were going as knights."

"you are not going to be covered in chainmail dean, all you are getting is a cape that Talia is sewing now, Derek and I will have matching ones and a gorget, and one pauldron,"

"What, are the words coming out of your mouth?"

"Erik loves medieval history, and jumped all over making our armour out of card board, we both get a gorget which goes around our neck and it's not authentic but we also have one pauldron , usually it's two and those cover our shoulder. Derek has the same. But his will have more decoration then ours because he is a little king. Now you need something that goes with blue and white our capes will be blue and white trimmed, and Derek's will be the opposite."

"Aren't we going a little overboard?" dean asked

"You are lucky he didn't decide to go full on roman armour with us, I had to remind him Camelot legends say England specifically, we would have had the fuzzy helmets and everything." Peter shuddered at his brother-in-law's enthusiasm.

"Okay blue mean's orange?" dean tried to remember his one and only art class taken on a whim at a school in Texas.

"No" peter really didn't look impressed with that suggestion.

"Brown?"

"Maybe," peter thought "it has to be a very specific brown though"

"Black?"

"Not with the two colours we have, the white will contrast too much"

"Grey?" Derek listed off a colour not fully understanding why the colours were being mentioned but he liked grey.

"Yes, perfect I think dark grey for the pants, and a light blue shirt." Peter announced, and then once again Dean was trying on clothes, though he noticed that not all of the first pile disappeared. Soon Dean had an overpriced outfit that actually fit him, and wasn't bordering on too tight, or was too big that it hung loose on his frame. Peter payed for a pile of clothes and dean protested the clothes for himself, but just said a small thank you for the ones Peter got for Sam. Making Peter roll his eyes as he made dean carry the two largish bags through the mall to the food court.

"Yay the food place." Derek announced as he pulled his uncle to a Dairy Queen, Peter ordered three strawberry Sundays ignoring Deans protest that he can pay for himself, and soon they were sat in uncomfortable chairs. "Thank-you uncle peter." Derek grinned with ice cream and strawberry around his mouth.

"Yes thank you Uncle Peter" dean mimicked with a grin.

"Idiot, but your welcome"

Dean really enjoyed his first experience at the mall, and he figured that Talia low-key ordered Peter to pay for everything, because no matter what they did Peter payed, and Dean argued. When the Hales went with Dean to pick up Sam to drop off at the motel, Peter wouldn't let Dean correct his brother when he thanked Dean for the clothes either. At the end of the day Dean was carrying a sleepy Derek into the house he asked peter why?

"Dean you are pack, and how we spend our money is pack business, your brother isn't pack." Peter explained.

Dean wasn't offended when he heard his brother wasn't pack, call him selfish but Dean was kind of happy that he had one good bit of life that was entirely his, and not in any way for the sole benefit of Sam, even though it did benefit him in little ways, his little brother wasn't the focal point of this endeavor. He just nodded and thanked peter once again for everything before handing off Derek to his uncle who mumbled unhappily.

Dean spent a lot of time with the Hales after that, he was invited to dinner twice, and once was ordered over by Erik, and Talia for a fitting of his armour and cape, all before the dance. Dean even spent some time with Derek Matthews being paired with him to actually make decorations this time, he learned that the girlfriend everyone at school thought dropped out and ran away was actually pregnant, and was being home schooled by Derek's mother. Dean's respect grew for the chatty kid, he had a lot more substance to him than first thought. And through all this Dean was actually a teen and not a child soldier on the front lines of a supernatural war. He was feeling guilty about not missing his father, and was dreading the day the Angel left his father's body.

The day of the dance brought Dean to the Hale house for lunch, to get ready for the Dance, he did remember to bring flowers for Derek, and even a few for Peter. He also wore the outfit Peter deemed acceptable. Dean does have to admit he looked good. The Dance was starting at 3 in the afternoon, and all the buddies, and the chaperones were headed to the school to set up at 1, but Talia insisted on a lunch, and pictures. Erik was fussing over their armour as they left and Derek was bouncing around in his cape, while Laura, whined about wanting to go, and it wasn't fair, but eventually the three made it to baby and once more Dean's car was outfitted with a booster seat.

When they got there all the children were running around in costumes of whatever they wanted, one kid was even dressed up as batman, even so there were a lot of little princesses with the dragon wings Dean made the first day of planning, and a lot more knights who were sword fighting with the paper ones Derek Matthews made. Dean and the Hales made a striking image walking in, only rivaled by Derek and his Girlfriend who looked like royalty in their blue outfits, and silver looking crowns. As soon as Derek saw them he ran over and started babbling right away, and led them over to his Girlfriend, and Dean knew the instant the Hales figured out Jaqueline was pregnant, Derek looked wide eyed at her stomach while Peter was looking like his brain was going a mile a minutes about who knows what.

"Hi, Jaqueline, it's nice to see you again." Dean greeted politely, before introducing the girl to the Hales, "this is Peter." Dean poked him making him wave," and this little guy is Derek, can you say hi?" Dean asked the kid staring intently at Jaqueline still making her fidget a bit, and it got worse when Peter dragged the older Derek away.

"Hi, Jackie-lin" Derek waved doing his best to pronounce the odd, to Derek at least, name. "You have a baby, just like mama, so you think they will be friends, mama says that All the people who have babies this year could be Cora's friends. Just like I am friends with my classmates."

"It's possible," Jaquelin answers, placing her hand on her stomach. "But just like you don't get on with everyone in your class they might not be best friends."

"Oh, okay, can I hug you, mama said I should always ask just in case." Dean frowns at that, the kid never asked him when he attack hugged him.

"I would love a hug." Jaqueline accepts Derek into her arms as he just puts an ear to her stomach.

"If my sister doesn't like you, we will be friends" Derek promises to the unborn child, then smiles up at Jaqueline as Peter points in their direction, and the older Derek was blushing and looking a bit scared.

"I better save your Derek, from my Peter." Dean announces then blushes, " I mean, never mind" Dean lets out flustered, and lets his Derek run off when the teacher calls the Kindergarteners to draw on the paper table covers.

To soon the dance was due to start, and left everyone running around doing last minute decorations, and Derek Matthews being a dork knighted his little brother and little Derek with swords that they could keep, made of sturdier stuff then the paper ones, these were also covered in tinfoil. Dean laughed at the awed looks on the boys faces, and was never happier that the teacher was always compulsively taking pictures as little Derek returned the favour and knighted Matthews. By the time those two were done acting ridiculous the doors were open, and Dean never got to ask Peter what he was talking about with the Matthews kid.

The Dance lasted two hours … well for the kindergarteners at least, who were more than ready to go home. It went well into the evening for the teens. Dean only caught up to his brother and his date, a girl names Jessica, when it was time to take Derek home for dinner. Dean left money for Sam's dinner and even enough to pay for his date's meal as well, He soon left with the Hales. The drive to the Hales left Dean feeling odd, and on edge, not one to ignore his instincts, Dean hung the amulet that he and bobby made on the rear view mirror, it repelled a lot of things, it was made out of silver and repelled demons also it contained salt. And was anointed in holy eater. Dean was glad to see the Hale house and quickly ushered the two younger ones in.

As Derek was regaling every dance he had with Jaqueline, Derek, Dean, and Peter. Talia had her first contraction, and Dean was hit with another feeling of just wrongness, he realized the feeling only came when he thought about Driving Talia to the hospital that he asked where the child was being born?

"That's an odd question?"

"I… sorry, it's just I have a nasty feeling and my instincts are honed to supernatural survival, it's just something is wrong on the roads tonight."

"Odd, my family has been told that the roads to town are cursed when any of the Hale women are pregnant it's why I have been holed up in the preserve as I neared the end of my pregnancy. The few who did not heed this warning have been badly injured as they head to the hospital. I have planned a home birth for all my children, I have a den not too far from here where only my emissary will be, and of course Erik. "Talia explains

"Okay, umm do you mind if I stay here." Dean asked

The rest of the pack started looking around nervously, sensing the Hunters unease, and noticing his frequent looks to the front door. "Of course Dean you can stay here." Talia answered looking concerned for the young man.

"Thank-you, Uhh, I know it's odd, just hold on a second." Dean ran out of the house, and came back in with the amulet he put on his car. "This is protection, the best I can do, but please wear it, and don't take it off, please" Dean places it in the Alpha's hand.

"Of course" Talia places the amulet around her neck, "I shall return this to you, I promise." Talia gave Dean a hug, then scented and assured everyone that everything was fine, "Dean your probably just feeling the Pack bonds." And with that comment Talia left into the forest with Erik, promising to return with a new pack mate.

Dean stayed the night, and read Derek a bed time story and when the child fell asleep, he stayed up with the adults until one by one they all nodded off, and even then Dean just bundled up with the extra blankets the Impala had in the trunk and sat vigil before falling asleep with his rock salt shotgun in hand on the front steps of the hale house.